Luka Modrić has been selected as one of the best 11 players in the world this year by FIFPRO, an international association of professional football players. This is a traditional choice in which thousands of football players vote on 27 nominees – three goalkeepers and eight defenders, midfielders, and attackers.
This time there were two Croatian footballers to choose from – 21-year-old Joško Gvardiol and, of course, Luka Modrić. This is the sixth time the Croatia national team captain has been elected to the world’s best 11 and the first time since 2019. Luka was named in the best 11 five times in a row from 2015 to 2019. Modrić was not at the ceremony in Paris tonight.
The FIFA World XI includes Thibaut Courtois of Real Madrid in goal, Achraf Hakimi of PSG, Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool, and Joao Cancelo of Manchester City in defense. In addition to Modrić, the midfielders include Casemiro of Manchester United and Kevin de Bruyne of Manchester City. In the attack is PSG duo Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland of Man City, and Modrić’s teammate Karim Benzema.
For the first time since 2006, there is no Cristiano Ronaldo in this selection. The Portuguese footballer left Manchester United last year and went to Saudi Arabia. His biggest rival Lionel Messi was selected for the 16th time in a row.
Messi won the FIFA Men’s Best Player award, receiving this recognition for a record seven times. Polish striker Robert Lewandowski won the award in 2020 and 2021. Messi celebrated in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, and 2022, while Cristiano Ronaldo has five laurels, and Brazilian Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane three each. Luka Modrić won this award in 2018, the same year he won the Ballon d’Or.
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